Apparatus for contacting solids and gasteous fluids



Spt. 21, 1948.

E. J. GOHR ETAL I 2,449,601 APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING SOLIDS AND GASEOUS FLUIDS Filed Sept. 16, 1944 w m n m r .v w n b 6 Q .n frhm O 6 emu 5. M a; m F O U mma Patented Sept. 21, 1948 APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING SOLIDS AND GASEOUS FLUIDS Edwin J. Gohr, Summit, Homer Z. Martin, Roselle, and Charles W. Tyson, Summit, N. J., assignors to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1944, Serial No. 554,514

This invention relates to contacting solid particles in subdivided form with gaseous fluids, and

more particularly, relates to the stripping or purging of spent or contaminated catalyst or contact particles following a hydrocarbon catalytic conversion operation.

In the catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons, it is known that coke or carbonaceous material is deposited on the catalyst or" contact particles and the particles must be regenerated as by burning with air or other oxygen-containing gas to burn off coke or carbonaceous material from the solid particles before they are used in another catalytic conversion step. The spent or contaminated catalyst or contact particles withdrawn from a reaction zone or vessel entrain hydrocarbon vapors or gases and also contain adsorbedhydrocarbon vapors or gases.

In the first catalytic cracking units built using powdered catalyst or contact material, the reaction products in vapor form and the spent or contaminated catalyst particles are passed overhead from the reaction zone or vessel as a relatively dilute suspension after which the reaction products in vaporous form are separated from dry spent or contaminated catalyst or contact particles. In such an operation stripping of the spent or contaminated catalyst particles is not an especially troublesome problem. In the improved catalytic cracking units the spent or contaminated catalyst particles are withdrawn from the bottom portion of the reaction zone or vessel in a, relatively dense dry fluidized liquidsimulating condition and the spent or contaminated catalyst is stripped or purged in the dense phase.

In the improved catalytic cracking units incomplete strippin or purging has been obtained and as a result, more combustible material is fed to the regeneration zone or vessel. This results in a higher loss of feed stock because some recoverable hydrocarbon material is burned in the regeneration zone or vessel and in addition, more heat is produced in the regeneration zone or vessel than is required for the desired extent of conversion.

According to the present invention, the spent or contaminated catalyst or contact particles are withdrawn from the bottom portion of the reaction vessel or zone in a dense fluidized dry liquidsimulatin condition and are flowed into an annular stripping zone or section below'the reaction vessel, the stripping zone or section being provided with baffle means functioning like a disc and doughnut construction to increase the stripping efficiency. Because the stripping chamber 2 Claims. (Cl. 23-288) is annular, the baffle means are not of the true disc and doughnut type but a vertical section through the stripping chamber shows the'baiile means as simulating a disc and doughnut construction. With this baffle construction, agitation and mixing of the catalyst or contact particles and stripping or purging gas are increased and localized points of high velocity are obtained. Other baflie constructions obtaining similar results may be used.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal crosssection taken through one form of apparatus which may be used in practicing this invention; and

Fig. 2 represents a horizontal transverse crosssection taken substantially on line 2-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference character in designates a cylindrical vessel provided with an inlet I2 for introducing gaseous fluid or a mixture of gaseous fluid and catalyst or contact particles 'in subdivided form. Preferably the material to be treated is passed through line It and is mixed with hot catalyst or contact particles introduced into line i 2 from standpipe it provided with a control valve I8. Only a portion of standpipe i6 is shown in the drawing. A suflicient length of standpipe is used to produce a hydrostatic pressure at the base of the standpipe of at least sufiicient magnitude to introduce contact particles into line l2. 1

Where the material to be-treated is in liquid form, it is partly preheated and then completely vaporized and raised to reaction temperature by mixing it with a sufficient amount of hot catalyst or contact particles from standpipe It. The mixture of gaseous fluid and solid particles is passed through line I: and into a cone 22 arranged in the lower portion of the reaction vessel Ill and provided with a horizontally arranged distribution plate 26 whereby solids and gaseous fluid are evenly distributed across the area of the reaction vessel ill. The distribution plate 26 is circular and has a smaller diameter than the vessel to form a stripping zone around the plate 26 as will be hereinafter described.

The velocity of the gaseous fluid is selected to maintain the solid particles in a dry dense fluidized liquid-simulating condition as shown at 20 in the reaction vessel l0 and having a level indicated at 32. The particles are maintained in a suitable cracking catalyst may be used as. for

example, acid-treated bentonite clay, synthetic silica alumina gels, synthetic magnesia gels, etc. Preferably the catalyst used is in powdered form and has a size mainly finer than 100 standard mesh but coarser material may be used, if desired. Using acid-treated bentonite clay or synthetic silica alumina gel in powdered form, the density of the mixture shown at 28 in the drawing may vary between about 8 lbs. /cu. ft. and 50 lbs/cu. ft.. depending on the velocity of the vapors or gases passing upwardly through the fluidized mixture or bed 28. The velocity of the upfiowing vapors or gases may range between about ft./second and 5.0 ft./second but preferably between 1 and 1 ft./second, the lower velocity giving higher densities in the bed or mixture 28.

Above the dense bed or mixture 28 is a dilute phase 84 in which the gaseous fluid or reaction products in vapor form contain only a. small amount of entrained catalyst or contact particles.

The gaseous fluid from the dilute phase 34 is passed through a separating means 36 arranged in the upper portion of the reaction vessel It). The separating means is shown in the drawing as a cyclone separator but other forms of separating means may be used.

The separating means 36 separates most of the entrained catalyst or contact particles from the gaseous fluid passing upwardly in the reaction vessel ill. The separated catalyst or contact particles are returned to the dense fluidized bed or mixture 28'through line 38 which dips below the level 32 in the reaction vessel iii.

The separated gaseous fluid or vaporous reaction products leave the top of the reaction vessel 130 through line 42 after having passed through the separating means 36. The separated gaseous fiuid or vaporous reaction products may be passed to any suitable equipment for recovering desired products. In the catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons the cracked vapo'rous products are pref-v erably passed to a fractionating tower to separate a gasoline fraction from gases and higher boiling hydrocarbons.

During the catalytic cracking or conversion of hydrocarbons, the catalyst or contact particles become contaminated or spent by the deposition of coke or carbonaceous material on the particles. This carbonaceous or combustible material must be removed from the catalyst particles before they are used over again in another cracking or conversion operation. The contaminated or spent catalyst or contact particles are withdrawn from the bottom of the dense fluidized bed or mixture 28 and passed downwardly through an annular shipping or purging section generally indicated at 6.

The stripping or purging section is formed between the inner wall 41 of the reaction vessel 18 and a skirt or apron 48 which depends from the distribution plate 26. If desired, the bottom of the apron or skirt 48 may be closed in to eliminate any possibility of pockets iormin'g between the feed cone inlet 22 and the skirt or apron 48. Stripping gas is introduced at a. plurality of points in the bottom of the stripping zone or section as will be presently described.

The annular stripping zone is provided with a baffle construction, which in vertical cross-section simulates a disc and doughnut baiile construction, to increase the mixing between the stripping or purging gas and the downfiowing spent or contaminated catalyst. By providing this baiiie construction, the spent or contaminated catalyst is stripped or purged in a plurality of steps or stages. Other forms of solids-gas contacting means may be used.

The bailled construction in the annular stripping section or zone will now be described. As

, the stripping zone or section is annular, the elements of the baille construction are also annular as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2. The inner portion of the top baille is shown at 52 and comprises an inverted dished washer with the upper part thereof surrounding the apron or skirt 48 and supported by brace 50. The upper surface 56 of top baiile 52 forms a downwardly sloping face. The baiile 52 isarranged in the upper part of the stripping section 46.

The other portion of the top baille is shown at E3 and from the drawing, it will be seen that it is similar in construction to the other portion of the baffle 52 just described. The baille 68 is secured at its upper end to the inner wall of the reactor l0 and is supported by brace 64. The baflie 63 has a downwardly sloping surface II. The baflles 63 and 52 are arranged at the same level and the lower edge 66 of baille 52 and lower edge 61 of baiiie 88 are spaced from each other-to form a narrowed annular passageway 88 in the stripping section 46. As the dense fluidized mixture of spent or contaminated catalyst or contact particles to be stripped passes down through the narrowed passageway 68, there is increased agitation and a higher velocity of the stripping gas flowing upwardly at this point so that improved stripping is obtained.

Arranged below the passageway 68 of the baiile construction 52, 63 is an annular baiile 68 which is substantially angular in cross-section and has a pointed top 12 and downwardly diverging sides l3, l4 Baille '68 is supported in any suitable manner. The top 12 of the annular bailie 68 is arranged directly beneath the narrowed passageway 68 above described so that the dense mixture passing downwardly is divided into two streams as it passes over the baille 89. The bottom portion of the bafile 68 forms narrowed passageways 16 between the bottom edges 15 of the baiile i8 and the walls of the stripping section. Here again increased agitation and higher velocities of the stripping gas are obtained so that improved stripping is obtained.

Arranged below the baiile 68 is another baflle construction comprising annular elements 82 and 84 which are similar in construction to the baille construction 52, 63 above described. The bottom edges of the baffles 82 and 84 form a narrowed passageway 86 therebetween. Arranged below the baille construction 82, 84 is another ballle construction 88 which is similar to the baille 68 above described. The baiiie 88 functions in the same manner as the baflle 88 above described in that it subdivides the downilowing stream of contaminated or spent catalyst particles into two streams and more agitation and better stripping is obtained.

co planar setsoi baiile elements, it is to be under- 3 stood that this" is by way of example only and the number or elements may be changed as desired.

Stripping gas, "such as steam, is introduced through line "2 having a valve ill to an annular distributing line I06 provided with spaced nozzles i0! projecting intothe lower portion of the stripping zone or section 46 for introducing the strip- I ping gas at a plurality of points. As shown in the drawing, the nozzles I08 are arranged below the bottom baiiie construction 94,16. The stripping gas passes upwardly through the stripping zone or section 6 and the baflie construction functions to effect stripping in a plurality of stages. The catalyst or contact particles during stripping and during passage throughthe stripping zone or section M are maintained in a relatively dense fry fluidized liquid-simulating condition. The stripping gasand stripped out material passes from the top of the stripping section 46, through the dense bed 28 and into separating means 36.

The stripped or purged catalyst or contact particles flow downwardly from the stripping zone or section 46 into the bottom conical section H0 or the vessel to and accumulate as a dense fluidized mixture shown at H2. If desired, aerating gas may beintroduced into the conical bottom IHI through line or lines H3. The stripped or purged catalyst or contact particles are then flowed into standpipe H4 only a portion of which is shown in the drawing.

instead of using steam as a stripping gas, other inert gases, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, recycle hydrocarbon gas, hydrogen, normally gaseous hydrocarbons, etc., or mixtures thereof, may be used.

In the catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons where the oil feed is gas oil and the catalyst is a silica alumina. catalyst, the temperature during the cracking in the reaction vessel id may vary between about 700 F. and 1100 F., but different Our invention is not to be limited to the particular annular bame construction shown, as other solids-gas contacting apparatus may be used.

While our invention has been specifically described in connection with the catalytic cracking of. hydrocarbons. it is to be understood that. the invention is also useful in other operations where it is desired to remove a fixed gas or volatilizable material from spent or contaminated catalyst or from contact particles in other reactions. and this invention is not to be limited to the specific conditions nor to the specific process described, as these are given by way of illustration only and various changes and modifications may be made.

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. An apparatus of the character described inciudlng a cylindrical vessel vertically arranged and adapted to contain a dense dry fluidized liquid-simulating mixture 01' contact particles and gaseous fluid, a centrally disposed horizontally arranged circular distribution perforated plate in the lower portion 01' said vessel, meansior introducing gaseous fluid into said vessel for passage upwardly through said ,plateja skirt depending from said plate and concentric with the wall of said vessel, and forming an annular space theretemperatures may be used for other hydrocarbon stripping zone-when using silica alumina powdered catalyst may vary between about 5 lbs/cu.

ft. and i0 lbs/cu, it. The preferred velocity is about 1 ft./second to 2 ft./second.

In a series of tests ona stripper, the carry-over or non-stripped gases with the catalyst was decreased from about.l2% to about 1% by themstailation of the annular baffles above described, no other apparatus or operating changes being made.

In the commercial units the stripping section is about 8 ft. deep and the annulus 46 is about.

3.5 it.. wide. In the commercial unit there are usually 3 sets of annular substantially co-planar baiiles and 2 of the annular baiiles I2 and I8.

with, means for introducing contact particles into said vessel, means for withdrawing gaseous fluid from the upper portion of said vessel. means for introducing a gaseous fluid into the lower portion of said annular space, 'baiile means in said annular space to provide a tortuous path through said space, said baiile means comprising several pairs of annular baffle members arranged in vertically spaced relation, each pair of annular baiiles being soarranged as to deflect the contact particles to a single annular opening substantially centrally of said annular space and annular baiile members of angular cross-section arranged centrally of said annular space and substantially mid-way between each pair of annular baiiie members and the next lower .pair of annular baiile members said annular space communicating with the lower portion of said vessel above said plate whereby the dense fluidized particle mixture passes down into said space and over said baflle means and means for withdrawing stripped particles from the lower portion of said annular space.

l 2. An apparatus of'the character described including a cylindrical vessel vertically arranged and adapted to contain a dense dry fluidized liquid-simuiating mixture of contact particles and gaseous fluid, centrally disposed inlet means in the lower portion of said vessel, means for introducing aseous fluid into said inlet means in said vessel for passage upwardly therethrough, a skirt depending from said inlet means and concentric with the wall of said vessel and forming an annular space therewith, means for introducing contact particles into said vessel, means for withdrawing gaseous iluid from the upper portion of said vessel, means for introducing 'a gaseous fluid into the lower portion of said annular space at a plurality of pointsspaced around said annular space, baiiie means in said annular space, said bailie means comprising several pairs oflannular bafilemembers arranged invertically spaced relation, each pair of annular baiiie members being so arranged as to deflect the contact particles to a singular annular opening substantially centrally of said annular space and annular bailie members of angular cross-section arranged centrally of said annular space and substantiaily'mid-way' between each pair of anaular bamemembers and the next lower pair of annularbame memberssaid annular space communicating with the lower portion of said vesselabove aid inlet means whereby the dense fluidized particle mixture passesdown into said annular space and over said bame means and means for withdrawing stripped particles irom the lower portion of said annular space.

EDWIN J. GOHR. HOMER z. MARTIN. cums WLTYSON. nmmm'mcns crrw The following references are ofi record in the me of this patent:

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